New Welding Process Put To The Test

A new welding technology from WeldWare Inc. promises to save ship and boatbuilders time and money.

TIPpc gets put to the test on Arleigh Burke Class destroyers being built at Ingalls Shipbuilding this summer.

A new welding technology from Weld Ware Inc. of Columbus. Ohio, is sched- uled to be put to the test on Arleigh Burke Class destroyers this summer in Pascagoula. Miss, at Ingalls Shipbtuld- ing. The new technology, the result of an ONR Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Weld Penetration Control research project, is jointly funded by ONR and NSRP.

WeldWare has apparently developed a weld penetration control system, called TIGpc, which automates the manual process of pipe welding and reduces the amount of rework usually associated with pipe welding.

Shipyard trials are set to last three months, during which time savings in decreased labor hours will be calculated.

The TIGpc system is expected to reduce shipbuilding costs by allowing wider use of automation for pipe root pass welding.

Chris Conrardv of Weldware estimates that there will likely be about a 30 to 1 return on investment. "The TIGpc sensor automatically detects the degree of Gs Tungsten Arc (GTA or TIG) rootpass weld penetration and adjusts the welding parameters to make sure the weld penetration is right the first time," Conrardy said.

Edison Welding Institute and Newport News Shipbuilding are also participants in the research project. In the past few years, EWI, Ohio State University and other research organizations have demonstrated the TIGpc's fundamental technology under laboratory conditions.

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